What Max Verstappen said about Lando Norris title chances in unreleased interview

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen comes into the Belgian Grand Prix 76 points clear of Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship. Verstappen saw his lead cut for the first time since Monaco after finishing fifth in Hungary last weekend.

He was a season-high 84 points ahead when he arrived at the Hungaroring, but he and Red Bull were out-of-sorts, leading to one of his poorest showings of the campaign. McLaren, meanwhile, scored a one-two, with Oscar Piastri leading home Norris.

Some have argued that the Woking outfit were wrong to impose team orders in the final stint of the race. Norris leapfrogged Piastri by virtue of a favourable strategy, but McLaren instructed him to let his teammate through because they didn’t view this as fair.

The Englishman did so after expressing reluctance at first, but he cost himself seven points in the process. He could potentially have been 69 behind Verstappen instead of 76.

Much of the focus recently has been on the fight in the constructors’ championship. With Sergio Perez struggling, McLaren have cut Red Bull’s advantage to 51.

This weekend promises to be crucial in the race for both titles. Red Bull will make a decision on Perez’s future at the end of the month, while Verstappen’s impending engine penalty presents an opportunity Norris simply must take.

Max Verstappen ‘adamant’ about Lando Norris title chances

Speaking to F1TV’s Will Buxton in an interview that’s yet to be released, Verstappen insisted that Norris has a ‘very, very real’ chance of winning the title this year. This may be an implicit warning to his Red Bull team.

In his eyes, they can’t afford to drop their standards and open the door for the 24-year-old. The team’s recent upgrades haven’t delivered the expected results, much to Verstappen’s frustration.

He’s the equivalent of about three race wins ahead, but in addition to McLaren’s all-round strength, reliability may be a concern. Indeed, the reason he’s taking a penalty at Spa is because one of his engines failed in Canada.

If Verstappen retired from a race and Norris won, the gap could plummet to 51 points. At that stage, it would look much more precarious, while still being significant.

“Just finished a fascinating chat with Max Verstappen you’ll be able to see on F1TV’s Belgian GP pre race show,” Buxton wrote on X. “Perhaps most telling is that despite the doubts some might have, Max himself is adamant Lando can win the world championship. Sees the threat as very, very real.”

Why Kimi Raikkonen gives Lando Norris hope of beating Max Verstappen

Since the current points system was introduced in 2010, no driver has come back from a margin greater than 46 points. That was Verstappen himself, who rallied from an early deficit to beat Charles Leclerc in 2022.

But all hope isn’t necessarily lost. If one applies the modern formula, Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 title from the equivalent of 72 points behind.

Verstappen has been almost robotically consistent in recent years, suggesting he should be able to pick up the points required. But errors have crept into his driving now that he’s come under greater pressure.

Martin Brundle says Verstappen is justified in ‘tearing pieces’ out of Red Bull for surrendering their advantage. But he’s urged him to do so privately rather than airing grievances on team radio.